


Strong Roots (series)

by wanderingbeauty



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-05-08 18:24:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14699739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingbeauty/pseuds/wanderingbeauty
Summary: Parts One and Two were supposed to be two halves of a complete work, but you guys wanted more so here you go! AKA The Misadventures of Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence.





	1. Chapter 1

He found Miguel at the dojo, sitting on the sidewalk with his face buried in his phone. Was texting really that intriguing? "Sensei!" Before Johnny even had the chance to shut the car door, the kid ran up to him and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Man, I still can't be _lieve_ what happened last night! Why didn't you stay? My mom and my yia wanted to congratulate you."

"Tell them thanks. I, uh... I had to do something." He was relieved to find the place empty; it was juvenile, but he'd been dreading this moment all day. 

Fear not existing in the dojo? Might as well throw that right out the window. 

"Are you okay?" Miguel asked. He crossed the room to put his backpack on a bench.

Johnny took the opportunity to sweep his leg, sending him straight to the floor. "You just turned your back on your enemy. I could've killed you twice by now."

"What--"

"Don't start getting cocky. If you think I'm gonna start going easy on you just because you won a tournament, you've got another thing coming."

The boy's eyes hardened. "Yes, Sensei."

They sparred for a few minutes while the rest of the students arrived. Miguel successfully floored him more than a few times.

"Alright." He pulled himself off of the floor, blatantly ignoring Miguel's outstretched hand. "Fall in. We all need to have a talk." He looked around the room. "Where are Aisha and Hawk?"

As if on cue, the two burst through the door, accompanied by Demitri. Hawk was holding a few pizza boxes and Aisha brought donuts. Demitri had a two liter of soda under each arm. "Don't start without us!"

"What's all this?"

"Well, we thought our victory last night deserved a celebration," Hawk explained. "And Demitri thought chipping in would help him get back into the dojo."

"Guys, c'mon. We can't afford to--"

"Don't be a square, Sensei." Miguel snagged a slice of pizza. "Let's party!" 

When all of the kids whooped in response, Johnny had to smile. "Alright, alright. Everyone sit in a circle like we're in goddamn kindergarten and we'll pass this shit around."

No one thought to bring paper plates, cups, or napkins, so it was basically a free-for-all on the mat. Hawk was on Johnny's left side; Miguel on his right. They were passing around a bottle of Dr. Pepper like it was a forty. 

"Sensei Lawrence?" Demitri was sitting across from him, with the jelly from his donut dripping onto the floor. He was in his white gi. "I wanted to apologize for acting irrationally before the tournament." 

Johnny shrugged. "Good to have you back, man." 

As he looked around, he realized that this was the interaction he wanted to see. All the students were talking to each other. Laughing. It was a far cry from the Cobra Kai dojo he grew up in, where the only people he regularly talked to were his exclusive group of friends. He guessed it helped that he met them before he started classes. Well, except Bobby.

He had apparently spent the whole summer at his grandfather's house in Reno. When he came back to school that September to see a stranger sitting at his lunch table, he thought nothing of it. He rubbed Johnny's back warmly and they struck up a conversation about how great of a teacher Kreese was. 

Bobby had full, fluffy brown hair with bangs that hung in his face. His eyes were a soothing, chocolatey color and they didn't leave yours when you were talking to him.

The other guys would constantly make fun of them for being so close, but maybe they were right -- maybe this thing with Daniel wasn't an isolated incident. Not that it mattered now, since he hadn't seen Bobby in decades. But it was nice to somewhat connect the dots. 

He was yanked back to the present by a familiar voice: "Is this how you choose to run your dojo, Mr. Lawrence?" Kreese was standing above them, rigid and judgmental. It was like nothing had changed. 

Johnny was on his feet in an instant. "You need to get the fuck out of here."

"Relax, relax." He grabbed a slice of pizza. "I just wanted to see how you've been conducting yourself after all these years." 

"Sensei, who is this?" Miguel's voice was cautious.

"This is John Kreese. He was my sensei."

Noises of awe filled the room. Johnny felt sick.

***

After the lesson -- if he could even call it that when they never stopped stuffing their faces -- Kreese wanted to talk to him in the back over a few glasses of whiskey. There was a lot of hesitation and some coaxing on Kreese's end ("C'mon, have a drink and catch up with your old man.") before Johnny accepted. 

Supposedly he'd been spending the better part of thirty years on a ranch in Texas; he'd gotten a job tending to horses. 

"There wasn't really a lot to do out there," he explained. "I did a lot of thinking." 

Unbelievably, he'd _apologized._

"I didn't have a good head on my shoulders back then. I was still wrestling with a lot of... issues." 

The kicker came when he suggested he and Johnny go into business together; he liked what he saw at the tournament, and with some techniques he'd withheld from the first generation of Cobra Kai, they'd be unstoppable. 

He sounded _sincere._ And it made Johnny think -- he, of all people, knew how hard it was to defeat your inner demons. He wanted to give the guy another chance.

"So," he leaned forward. "What do you think?"

"I think," Daniel put an arm around him. "...you're a bigger idiot than I thought."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a week since he’d had any interaction with Kreese.

Daniel’s lawyer -- of _course_ Daniel had a lawyer -- had gotten him a restraining order; Kreese wasn’t allowed within fifty feet of the Cobra Kai dojo. It was a nice gesture on Daniel’s end. When had he gotten so _nice?_ Still, Johnny found himself glancing over his shoulder more often than he probably should’ve been.

That stupid piece of paper didn’t bring him any comfort. But at least he was finally able to make his point. 

He’d entered the dojo less menacingly than usual. It was a day after the restraining order had been issued. “Fall in.”

“Everything alright, Sensei Lawrence?” That was Demitri. 

“We need to talk about the future of Cobra Kai.”

It was simple -- no more playing dirty. Even though things had been settled with Robby, Johnny couldn’t get the image of his dislocated shoulder out of his head. Of course the sympathy had been warranted -- Robby was his son, after all -- but what if it had been someone else’s kid? What if it had been one of Johnny’s own students?  
And perhaps more importantly was this -- playing dirty was a strategy of the Cobra Kai of the eighties. Johnny had sworn to Daniel that those days were over; now it was time to put his money where his mouth was. 

The kids took it surprisingly well, except for Miguel who was standing there with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed. 

He caught up with Johnny after class, knocking on the open doorframe of his office. “Hey, Sensei. Was that speech because of me?”

Johnny put down his beer bottle. “It was because of all of you. There were a lot of sore losers and rule breakers in the tournament. I expected better from you.”

“But… you never care about the rules. More often than not, you’re the one breaking them.”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you, alright?” He tossed Miguel a Dr. Pepper. “Just do what I say or find yourself another teacher.”

He shrugged. “Alright.”

It was then that Johnny’s phone made a noise he’d never heard before. “What the hell?” He picked it up to discover he had a text from Daniel: _Do you have a day job?_

He laughed and called him, pressing the phone to his ear. When he got Daniel’s voicemail, all he said was, “No, but your mom makes me a lot of money on the weekends.”

Miguel raised his eyebrows. “Who was that?”

“Some dick. You want a ride home?”

The kid had all but fallen asleep on the way back to the apartment complex. He droned on about finals week and how he’d never need to know the location of Napoleon’s last battle.

“Waterloo,” Johnny mumbled.

“What?”

“His last battle. It was the Battle of Waterloo.”

Miguel considered this, then leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.

Carmen was waiting for them outside. She took turns smiling at them. “Hey, guys!” 

“Hi, Mom.” He hugged her, then went inside. 

She was looking exceptionally good today; white shorts, a floral tank top, and tan gladiator sandals. Her hair was half-up, and as usual she had no makeup on. It suited her. “He’s probably gonna take a nap,” she explained. “He’s so smart. But he worries too much! I try to tell him there’s more to life than grades, but when has a sixteen-year-old ever listened to his mom?”

“I think he knows you’re worth listening to,” Johnny tried. “But he can be a little stubborn sometimes.” 

“A little?”

“A lot,” he amended.

“What’s on your agenda for tonight?” She hooked her thumbs into her beltloops. “You have dinner plans? My mom bought some more of those _bananas_ that you love so much. She’s been pestering me to have you over again.”

Miguel had since educated him on the nature of plantains. Apparently he’d been half-right -- they were very similar to bananas, just starchier and typically cooked before they were eaten. 

Just as he was about to accept her invitation, his phone made that weird sound again. He pulled it out of his pocket to see another text from Daniel: _You’re hilarious. I was just wondering if you’d want a job working for me -- we can’t find anyone we like to fill in for Louis and you seem to know your stuff. Whataya say?_

He looked up at Carmen. “Sorry, I can’t.” She looked disappointed. “Maybe tomorrow?”

“Is that a promise?”

“I don’t see why not.” He smiled at her. 

He called Daniel once he was in his apartment. “Are you pranking me?”

“No, man. You gotta stop being so paranoid.” 

“So the job is mine, then.” 

“Well, you’ll still have to come in for an interview,” Daniel explained. “But between you and me I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t get it.”

They set up a time and Johnny got right back in his car, en route to the Good Will to find a decent looking suit. 

***  
He ended up abandoning the suit idea and opted for a light blue button-down with a black tie and black pants. He was half wondering if he’d end up making a good impression, half wondering if Daniel would even care. Something told Johnny that he could’ve shown up to the dealership in a bathrobe and slippers and Daniel would’ve still listened to what he had to say.

“Dad?” Robby was fiddling with the popcorn machine when he caught sight of Johnny in the doorway. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m hoping to fill in for Larusso’s piece of shit cousin.” He opened his arms, subtly gesturing to his formal getup. “How do I look?”

“You clean up real good.” The voice came from Johnny’s right side. Daniel’s voice. 

He let himself be led by Daniel to a small cubicle. No door, but the back wall was made entirely of glass, allowing an unimpressive view of the parking lot. 

“So,” Daniel took a seat at his desk, motioning for Johnny to do the same. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today, Mr. Lawrence.”

Johnny scoffed. “Oh, so this is what we’re doing?”

Daniel was wearing a navy suit; it seemed blue was his trademark color. Johnny was glad he’d went with his instincts when picking out an outfit. “Tell me about yourself.” He ignored Johnny’s jab. “Why are you Larusso Auto material?”

“Well…” Johnny rapped his knuckles against the arm of the chair nervously. “I’m a people person. I _love_ helping people. I can’t think of anything more fulfilling.” He noticed Daniel suppressing a smirk. “Plus, like you said on the phone -- I know a thing or two about cars.”

“Alright.” Daniel abruptly stood. “I think I’ve heard all I needed to hear. We’ll be in touch.”

“Seriously? I bought new clothes for you to sit me down for two minutes and then dismiss me?”

“Don’t think it didn’t go unnoticed -- that shirt really brings out your eyes.”

“Gimme a break.” He laughed and shook Daniel’s outstretched hand. “Thank you for taking the time to see me today, _Mr. Larusso._ ”

“How’d it go?” Robby had migrated over to an Audi; he was switching the price tag. 

“Pretty good, I think. Dan says he wants to give me your job.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Johnny!” Daniel jogged over to him while he was cleaning out the coffee pot. “Can I talk to you for a second?” 

“Uh, yeah.” He gave the pot a quick towel dry and set it back in the machine. 

Daniel put a hand on his back. “You’ve been doing a really good job around here.”

He scoffed. “Save your breath, man. Aside from the occasional asshole who wanders in here thinking they know everything, I have the easiest job in the world. A monkey could do it.”

Robby wandered in then, rooting around the cupboard for the canister of coffee and the filters. “Hey, guys.”

“What are you doing drinking coffee?” Johnny jabbed. “You’re sixteen.” 

“I’ll be seventeen in a month. Gotta get used to hating my life and everyone in it sooner or later.”

“Shit, I’ll drink to that. Make me some, too.”

The look of surprise on Daniel’s face quickly changed to happiness -- no doubt he was taking pride in bringing father and son closer together. Not that Johnny could complain -- he and Robby had gone out to eat three times in the past two weeks, and Robby had invited him to hang out a few times while Shannon was… out.

Robby never brought it up. Johnny never asked. 

“Anyway.” Daniel was all smiles after Robby left. “I wanted to know if you had any plans on Friday -- Amanda’s been bugging me to have you over again.”

“Well…”

“C’mon. Every self-respecting man knows how to grill a steak. Why don’t you show me what you got?”

Johnny’s eyebrows went up. “Is that a challenge?”

Daniel winked in response. 

***

He wanted a great steak? Fine. Johnny was gonna give him the best goddamn steak he’d ever had in his life. 

He went around the side of the house to the backyard, balancing a tupperware container full of steaks submerged in his secret marinade, a six pack of Coors Banquets, and a six pack of Coke for the kids. He hoped it would be enough for that fatass son of his. 

The family was spaced out around the yard -- Daniel was standing over the grill, wearing orange shorts, sandals, and a white t-shirt; Amanda was on her phone at the table -- she was wearing a strapless, yellow sundress. The kids were both by the pool -- the daughter was wearing a brown crop top and white shorts. She was soaking up the sun with her eyes closed. The son, meanwhile, was bent over a tablet that was making a series of beeping noises. Every so often he would let out a frustrated grunt. 

Johnny wondered whether he was witnessing the picture of a perfectly happy family. 

He set the drinks down on the table and smiled at Amanda. “You got your wish.”

“Sorry?” She looked down her sunglasses at him. 

“Your husband said you’ve been dying to have me back over. How could I turn down a lady in need?”

She smirked. “I hate to break it to you, but Daniel’s a bit of a liar.”

“Yeah? How’s that?”

“Well, for one, it was _Daniel_ who suggested we do this. And if memory serves, he was the one who wanted to invite you.”

The knot in his stomach tightened. “Is that so?” He saw her smirk as he sauntered over to her husband. 

“Hey!” Daniel took the tupperware out of his hand and threw the meat on the grill. “You made it! Now it’s really a party.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to disappoint _Amanda._ ”

Daniel’s ears turned pink.

***

“Johnny, this steak is delicious!” That was Mrs. “call me Lucille” Larusso; she’d gotten to the house about forty-five minutes after him. “What’s your secret?”

“Sorry, Mrs. L -- a chef never reveals his secrets.” 

She put her hand over his. “Come on.”

“Alright, alright. I marinated them in Italian dressing and pineapple juice, with just a _hint_ of Dr. Pepper.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m dead serious.”

“Well, I just might have to steal that from you!” She gave him a wink.

He went to take a swig from his Banquet and realized it was empty. He wandered over to the cooler; Daniel’s daughter was sitting on it. “Are you too cool for your family?”

She shook her head. “I was actually waiting for you to come over here.”

“Jesus Christ. You’re not gonna try to hit on me, are you?”

“What? _Ew!_ Get over yourself.” She shuddered. “I just… I just wanted to apologize for… what my friends and I did to your car.” She hopped off the cooler. “I never got the chance to tell you I was sorry.”

He grabbed a bottle and popped off the lid, taking a sip before he responded: “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“But--”

“Were you driving the car?”

“Well, no, but--”

“Then you’re off the hook! Besides, I got a free car out of it. Everybody wins.” He punched her in the shoulder. “I’m Johnny.”

“I know. I’m Samantha.” They both walked back to the table together. Lucille was serving heaping spoonfuls of pasta salad to everyone.

“My pasta salad is made from scratch,” she was saying. “Do you know how rare that is nowadays? With all that pre-packaged garbage? No thank you.” Johnny didn’t miss the glare Amanda gave her.

“Well, I dunno,” he tried. “Sometimes people just get busy and they don’t have the time to make it homemade. Packaged pasta salad isn’t too bad.” Amanda didn’t look at him, but he saw the hint of a smile as she returned to her corn on the cob.

He took a bite of Lucille’s pasta salad. 

Damn, was it good. 

***

“Mr. Larusso!” The back door was kicked open and Robby scrambled into the yard. “I know I’m late. And I’m sorry. But I was-- Dad?”

Johnny blinked. “I didn’t know you were gonna be here.” 

“Uh, yeah. Mr. Larusso invited me.” He clumsily accepted a hug from Samantha, balancing the three cartons of ice cream he brought in his free arm. “I brought dessert.” 

“Do you want me to fix you a plate?” Amanda asked. 

“Um, if you don’t mind? That would be great. Thanks.”

While she was gone, Daniel raised his eyebrows at Robby. “You seem pretty keyed up, man.”

“Well, I wanted to tell you that I, uh… I’m going to summer school. And if I do well, I’ll be able to be in the junior class next year.”

“Robby, that’s great!” Daniel clapped him on the back, knocking him slightly off balance. “Congratulations!” 

Johnny abruptly got up from the table -- only vaguely aware of Daniel calling his name -- and went to the kitchen, bracing himself against the counter.

“Everything alright?” Amanda was piling a mound of mashed potatoes onto a paper plate. He didn’t know the Larussos owned paper plates. 

He had no right to be upset. He hadn’t been in Robby’s life for sixteen years. 

Then again, neither had Daniel. 

But he was trying _now,_ and that was what mattered, right? That meant he wasn’t a total deadbeat, right?

He remembered how it had been when his dad died. The pain he’d felt. The hollow spot in his chest. It was like someone ripped his heart right out of his body. And his mom… he’d watched the life drain from her eyes. He’d held her hand as it went limp in his. 

He of all people knew what it was like to not have anyone to look up to. Sure, he’d had Kreese, but even his sensei couldn’t replace the love of a parent. 

And even his relationship with Kreese had fallen through. 

Why was he so ready to let the same thing happen to Robby? Why hadn’t he been there for him?

“Okay, look.” Amanda came around to the front of the counter and took his hands. “You’re proud of him, right?”

“Of course.” He had to get better at knowing when he was thinking out loud.

“Of course,” she repeated. “And you’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re trying to rebuild your relationship with your son, Johnny. It’s not going to be totally smooth sailing, but you guys are both trying. You’re willing to meet in the middle. And you want what’s best for him.” She put a hand on his cheek. “That makes you a good person.” 

Daniel came in then. “Johnny, I--” 

“Forget it, man. I overreacted. I’m gonna go talk to him.” He squeezed Daniel’s shoulder as he walked back out onto the patio.


	4. Chapter 4

“Are you out of your mind?” Daniel held the door open for him as they exited the dealership. “I’m not giving you _another_ free car.”

“It’s not for me. Look.” He stepped in front of Daniel and took hold of his arms. “I’m in a really good place with Robby right now. You fixed my first car for free, and you _gave_ me a second one. I wanted--”

“Because I thought that would get you out of my life.”

“Right. And now we’re working together and you’re longing for me to be by your side for your family cookouts. Funny how things work out, huh?”

Daniel wrestled out of his grasp. “Forget it. We’re done here.”

Robby would be seventeen in a month and he didn’t even have his permit yet. And Johnny knew for a fact that Shannon wouldn’t be helping him in that department; he doubted she could even afford to get him a piece of shit car. He thought he could’ve counted on Daniel. He should’ve known better. 

He drove to the dojo in silence. The only two people waiting for him were Hawk and some girl that was draped across him. She was wearing denim shorts and a white, lacy crop-top under a tan cardigan. Hawk said something that couldn’t have been remotely funny -- Johnny had heard the kid’s jokes before -- but she threw her head back and laughed, revealing two rows of perfect, white teeth. 

Miguel was nowhere to be seen for the second week in a row. 

“Hey, guys.” He jutted his chin toward the girl. “Hi.”

“This is Moon,” Hawk explained. “She wants to start lessons with us.”

“ _Moon?_ ” He tried his best not to look disgusted, wondering what sort of hippie bullshit she had to be subjected to as a kid. 

“That tournament was really cool.” She grinned at him, wide-eyed. “You’re a really good teacher.”

He unlocked the front door and stepped inside. “Hawk, I need to see you for a second.”

“Yeah, what’s up?” They walked to his office and Johnny motioned for him to shut the door. 

Johnny threw him a bottle of water, took one for himself. “We can’t have girls like her in Cobra Kai.”

“Why not? Aisha’s one of your best students.” 

“Aisha’s different.” 

“Why? Because she’s _not like other girls?_ ” 

“Look.” Johnny braced himself against the desk. “I get what you’re trying to do. But why don’t you invite _Moooooon_ over to your house and teach her the moves yourself?”

He saw an unmistakable twinkle in Hawk’s eye. “Jesus, Sensei, that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard.” 

“Atta boy.” They fist-bumped. “Now get the hell outta here so I can change.” 

For the rest of the lesson, Moon stayed on the bench making googly eyes at Hawk. It was sweet, but there was definitely no place for it in the dojo. She’d get distracted way too easily and end up on her ass. 

He caught up with her when it was over. “Hawk told you what was going on?”

She nodded. “I guess it makes sense -- you wouldn’t have any room for new students after everyone saw you kick so much ass.” She linked her arm through Hawk’s and looked up at him lovingly. “Do you think he’ll be a good teacher?”

“If he’s not, I’ll kick his ass.” Johnny smiled at her. 

Damn, this girl was dumb. 

***

He’d been to Daniel’s house too many times in the past few weeks. 

He strolled up the front walk and knocked on the door. After a few seconds of waiting, he knocked again. Finally, he tried the doorknob -- it was unlocked. He took it upon himself to go inside. 

The sun was just starting to set; hues of pink, purple, and orange streamed in through the windows. The lamp on the end table was turned on, but there was no one on the couch. A William Falkner novel lie face-down and open on one of the cushions. 

“Hello?”

No answer. 

He thought about going to the kitchen and raiding the fridge when a distinct smell caught his attention. Smirking, he headed up the stairs. 

When he found what he thought was the source of the smell, he drummed his fingers playfully against the door. “Hey, Larusso. You send Robby home early?” He pushed the door open to find the daughter in her bed, frantically trying to hide the joint she was smoking. 

“Jesus,” she shrieked, “you need to knock!” 

He walked into the room matter-of-factly and sat down on the bed. “Look, I’m not gonna give you any shit about how pot is a gateway drug. Because it’s not. And I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that it’s gonna ruin your life. Because it won’t.” He shrugged. “But if you don’t share with me I’ll have to tell your parents.” 

With a giggle, she passed it to him.

When the smoke filled his lungs, he coughed. It had been awhile since he’d done this. Once he’d gotten used to it again, though, it was great. He wondered why he’d ever stopped smoking in the first place. 

“Where are your parents?” He passed it back to her.

She was silent for a minute, taking a huge hit and dramatically exhaling -- pointing her nose to the sky. “ _Out._ ” She sort of grunted the word, but her displeasure was overtaken by another fit of giggles. “I don’t wanna talk about it. It really pisses me off.” 

He was left to wonder. 

***

She gasped dramatically. “You know what we should _do?_ ” They had migrated to the kitchen and were sitting cross-legged on the floor, splitting an almond butter, marshmallow fluff, and cinnamon sandwich. 

For whatever reason, the almond butter was super liquidy and got all over the place whenever he would take a bite. He wiped at his mouth clumsily and she laughed at him. “What?”

“We should watch Fox and the Hound!” 

“Isn’t that a cartoon?” The name vaguely rang a bell -- it brought to mind faint memories of sitting on his living room floor, occupied with a small pile of Cheerios that dwindled over time. He remembered a colorful yet somber adventure. 

He was just hoping the kid wouldn’t be subjecting him to a lame CGI remake. He’d had enough of those over the past few years. 

“Yeah!” She got up and grabbed his hand, struggling to pull him to his feet. “It’s really good! Come _on!_ You’re too _heavy!_ ” 

He snickered at her pathetic attempts and stood. They made their way to the living room. 

_Somber_ had definitely been the right word -- if not a bit of an understatement. Within the first three minutes of the movie, the fox’s mom had been killed, leaving him to a lonely widow who vowed to take care of him. 

He watched as a crazed hunter tried his damndest to kill the fox. The guy was a complete asshole. 

The whole thing took on a Romeo and Juliet effect -- the fox was wanted by the hunter; the hunter had a hound; the hound and the fox -- obviously -- became the best of friends. 

Things came to a head as the widow realized she could no longer keep the fox -- as long as the hunter knew where he was, he’d never be safe. The widow took the fox to a spot deep in the woods and let him go, taking off his collar and driving away, leaving him confused and sad. 

A sniffle came from Samantha. Johnny looked over at her. “Are you…”

She let out a cry. “I can’t believe she would do that to him! He doesn’t know how to fend for himself! _He’s not gonna survive out there!_ ” Her voice was high-pitched and weepy. 

He was still a little out of it from the weed. He scratched his head. “Do you wanna… turn it off?”

“ _No!_ We need to see how it ends.” She looked over at him with wide eyes and huge pupils. “I mean, I know how it ends.” She wiped at her tears. “But if we turn it off now it’ll be like _we_ were the ones who left him to die.” 

He made a note to never smoke with this girl again. 

After a _very_ depressing yet expected ending, Samantha slumped against his shoulder and sniffled. “He’s never even gonna get to see her again.”

“Are you still high?”

“No. I’m _upset._ ”

It was at this moment that the front door opened and her parents entered the house. Daniel looked at the scene before him, glaring at Johnny. “What the hell did you do?”

“Easy, asshole. We were just watching a movie. I came over because I wanted to snag Robby from you and take him out driving. But you were gone and Sammy wanted to watch Fox and the Hound.” 

“I don’t know why you do that to yourself, honey,” Amanda chimed in. “All it does is make you cry.”

Johnny pat Samantha’s knee and stood. “See ya around, kiddo.” 

***

“Miguel!” He caught the kid as he was taking out the garbage. “You’ve missed two back-to-back sessions! Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry, Sensei. My friends and I have been studying super hard. I only have a few more weeks of school and then I’ll be free. I promise.” There were huge bags under his eyes and his shoulders were hunched forward; Johnny hadn’t seen him in such bad shape since before he started training. 

“Well, as long as you don’t make a habit of it.” He clapped Miguel on the back. “Good luck on your finals, man.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay.” Johnny buckled his seatbelt. “You know how to get to school?”

“Yep.”

He nodded. “Start her up.”

Robby put the key in the ignition and the engine revved to life. Before they really got started, Johnny backed the car out of its parking space and turned it so it was facing the entrance/exit of his apartment complex; to his knowledge it was Robby’s first time driving and he didn’t want the kid busting off either of the side mirrors. Or worse. 

Before he knew it, they were on the road. Robby was going the appropriate speed limit and his eyes never wavered from the front windshield. 

When he stopped at a red light, Robby dug his phone out of his pocket and put on a song, setting it down on the center console. “I’m guessing you don’t have an aux cord?”

“Nope.” 

The song was terrible. It wasn’t exactly hip hop, but Johnny didn’t know what other category to put it into either -- the singer was talking rhythmically yet monotonously over a standard beat about how no one gave a shit about him, but now that he was big everyone was crawling out of the woodwork. 

The typical rapper’s dilemma. 

Robby spoke along with conviction -- his eyes narrowed down to slits that rivaled James Dean’s in intensity. 

Johnny looked out the window. The sun had been up for about an hour now and the palm trees swayed in the breeze; it was an easy mid-June morning. “Y’know, you’re pretty good at this.”

“Me and the assholes I used to hang around with would hotwire cars all the time.” Robby’s eyes widened as he caught himself. “I mean-- uh-- Mom’s been taking me driving. Y’know, when she can.” 

He didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for the kid. “Your taste in music is shit.”

At another red light, Robby grabbed his phone and aggressively started scrolling through his music library. He slammed it back down with a smirk on his face as a peaceful xylophone filled the car. Johnny knew the song well; it was Everyday by Buddy Holly. “Better?”

The drive to school wasn’t far. Robby pulled up to the building and parked beside the curb.

“Good job today.” Johnny squeezed his shoulder before they both got out of the car. “I’ll pick you up at three?”

“Four.”

“Four.” 

Robby tossed him the keys and he caught them with one hand. 

***

“Earth to Johnny!” Daniel came up behind him and rubbed his shoulder. “You’ve been cleaning the popcorn maker for about twenty-seven minutes, man. Everything okay?”

He shrugged Daniel off of him. “Everything’s fine. I just… I wanna be thorough.” 

“Robby texted me this morning and told me you let him drive to school.”

“Yeah.”

“How’d it go?”

“Great.” Johnny pushed past him. “I have some price tags to switch.” 

***

Robby didn’t need Johnny in his life.

Going out to lunch was great; finally being a part of his life was great; having Robby show up at his doorstep when things got out of hand with Shannon was definitely a plus -- it was nice to know Robby trusted him enough to to know he’d give the kid a place to stay.

But Johnny’s time to be a dad was over. And he’d missed it. That was something Daniel would never be able to understand. 

He’d dropped Robby off at Shannon’s -- surprised she’d been home -- and continued to his apartment complex. The kid had driven home as well, and as Johnny suspected, he’d been great at it. 

He knocked on Miguel’s door. “Anyone home?” 

He heard footsteps approach. Miguel’s yia opened the door. “Johnny!” She was always excited to see him. “Como esta?” 

“Oh, uh, I’m good. Hey, is Miguel here?”

“Si, si! Esta en… mmm… bedroom.” She pointed down the hall with a friendly smile. 

Johnny opened Miguel’s door without knocking. “Holy shit, what happened to you?” The kid was covered in bruises and cuts. They didn’t look too bad, but they seemed recent.

“Some dicks pushed me off my bike.” He brought himself to a sitting position, wincing. “Looks worse than it feels.” 

Johnny leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Is that why you weren’t at the dojo tonight?” 

“Yeah.” 

“And what about the other times?” Johnny glanced around the room. He had a TV, a single-CD stereo, and posters of musicians Johnny had never heard of before. The sheets on his bed were navy blue. “I know school’s been out for a few weeks now. Why haven’t you been showing up?” 

“I’m still trying to decompress from finals,” Miguel tried. 

“Well, decompress _faster._ Heal up; I expect to see you at the dojo next week. Cobras are disciplined. Got it?”

“Got it.” 

“Get well soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first song Robby played in the car was Beamer Boy by Lil Peep if anyone's curious.


	6. Chapter 6

Miguel had kept his word -- three weeks had past and he’d shown up to the dojo for every one of them. He must’ve been making time in his schedule to keep practicing even without the aid of his sensei, because he seemed sharper than ever; overall, he’d improved tremendously. Johnny was beginning to see a lot of his younger self in Miguel. Not that he’d let the kid know that -- he was already cocky enough as is. 

Johnny was hanging out in the Larusso’s backyard for another one of their family barbecues. Or, family sans the son. Apparently he’d planned on going to a friend’s house for a sleepover and Amanda was at her wit’s end trying to get the kid to do what she said. So in the end, she just let him go. 

“I can whip him into shape for you,” Johnny offered, sucking on a Banquet bottle. “One afternoon with me and he’ll be scared as shit to cross you again.” 

Amanda laughed. “I appreciate it. But Anthony’s a good kid. It could be worse.” Behind her, Samantha was shaking her head in apparent disagreement with her mother. Johnny laughed. 

He didn’t bring steaks this time. Instead, he opted for hot dogs and a few different store-bought pies. When he’d called Daniel to ask what kinds would be best, Daniel told him that no one really had a preference, but his favorite was a flavor called razzleberry. Johnny made sure to snag that one, along with a peach and a blueberry. Pie seemed to be the choice of desert for the day, because Lucille had brought a homemade Dutch apple pie of her own. She’d also made tuna salad with celery and onions; Johnny was enjoying it between two slices of French bread, already thinking about going back for seconds. 

“Johnny, these hot dogs are delicious!” Amanda daintily wiped a drop of relish from her mouth. “What brand are they?”

“Ballpark franks,” he informed her with a goofy sense of pride. “The best money can buy.” 

He was actually beginning to enjoy time spent with the Larussos. Conversation became easy; Lucille admitted that even though Louis was family, she was glad Johnny had replaced him over anyone else. 

“I’m glad you and Daniel patched things up,” she said.

He and Daniel locked eyes. Daniel smirked. 

His store-bought pies turned out to be a hit. Especially with Daniel, who helped himself to three pieces of the razzleberry. 

He’d offered to help clean up, but Amanda rejected him. “Okay, well.” He kissed her cheek. “I’d better get going.”

“Wait!” Daniel caught up to him. “You watch college football?”

As a matter of fact, there was a game on tonight that Johnny didn’t want to miss. That’s how he found himself on the couch, Daniel’s arm draped loosely over his shoulders. Samantha was sitting on his other side, but evidently she wasn’t interested; her nose was buried in a book. 

“Sports bore me,” she told him.

“So there’s no chance of me seeing you throw it down at the tournament next year, then?”

She looked up at him, eyes twinkling. “Karate isn’t a sport. It’s a way of life.”

“Oh, Jesus Christ.” He rolled his eyes. “Did your dad teach you that one?”

Daniel ignored this, but Samantha’s sheepish smile told him he was right. Not that he would’ve doubted it. 

She didn’t end up staying very long -- she went upstairs during the first commercial break, and when she came back down there was an overnight bag slung over her arm. “I’m gonna get going.”

Daniel smiled sweetly at her. “Tell Aisha we said hey. Love you.” 

“Love you too.” And with that, she was out the door. 

Maybe he was imagining it, but Johnny could’ve sworn Daniel scooted even closer to him once Samantha was off the couch.

***

His team ended up losing, much to Daniel’s delight. 

Lucille sent him home with the rest of the tuna salad. “Oh, I insist!” she pressed after he tried to refuse. “I saw how you wolfed it down so quickly. It’s no trouble at all!” He couldn’t complain too much -- that would most likely be his lunch for the next few days. 

He left the razzleberry pie at Daniel’s but took the peach for himself; it was his favorite as a kid, and seeing as he was the only one who had some at the barbecue, he figured no one else would miss it. 

So here he was, driving carefully so the leftovers wouldn’t spill in the backseat. It was 12:02am -- Amanda made him stay a little while after the game ended to ensure he wouldn’t be driving under the influence -- and there were hardly any other cars on the road. Johnny had always prided himself in his ability to drive well, but he couldn’t say the same about the assholes he encountered on an almost daily basis. It was like no one in the state of California knew how to fucking drive. 

Tonight he was thankful for the solitude. 

A Poison song came on the radio. Johnny grinned and cranked it up, rolling the windows down and singing along loudly. He’d never admit to liking the band to anyone who asked -- he could only imagine Daniel’s reaction. It made him laugh. 

A little further down, there was a car in a ditch. Its headlights were still on. Upon closer examination, Johnny swore under his breath and pulled over to the side. He cut the engine and hastily got out. “Sammy?”

Daniel’s daughter looked over at him and groaned. 

“Where’s Aisha? Is she okay?”

The door to the driver’s seat swung open then, and Miguel stumbled out of the vehicle. He was a little banged up, but he’d live. “Alright, Sensei’s here! _Now_ it’s a party!” The kid was buzzed at the very least. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” 

“What’s it look like?” Miguel walked over to him and put his hands on his shoulders. “I’m _seizing the moment,_ man.” He jerked his head toward Samantha. “She and I are gonna go have some fun, if you know what I mean.” His eyelid twitched in what Johnny thought was supposed to be a wink. 

“Jesus Christ, Miguel, would you shut the hell up?” That was Samantha. She grunted in frustration and kicked the car’s tire. “I don’t believe this.” She turned to Johnny. “I already called the cops. They’re on their way.” 

“Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine.” 

They stayed until the police came to take Miguel away. Johnny knew exactly what was going to happen -- they’d keep him there for the night til he sobered up, then he’d call Carmen in the morning and have to tell her exactly what happened. 

Samantha got off scott-free. 

He put an arm around her and started leading her to his car. “C’mon, I’ll give you a ride.” 

She got in, waiting until he was behind the wheel before saying anything. “Please don’t take me home.” 

“Excuse me?” He was already back on the road. Guns ‘n’ Roses were welcoming the listener to the jungle. He turned the radio off. 

“My parents think I’m at Aisha’s. I don’t want them to freak out on me.” She looked over at him. “Can I stay with you? Just for tonight. I promise I won’t be any trouble.” 

He ran a hand through his hair. “Shit.”

***

He pulled into his designated parking space and shut the car off. Samantha was passed out beside him. “Hey.” He gently shook her, rubbed her shoulder. “Hey, we’re here.”

She jerked awake, looked at him, then got out of the car. 

“Sorry about the mess.” He made his way to the kitchen and put the leftovers in the fridge. “Maid’s on vacation.”

“Okay, Bender,” she murmured sleepily. 

“You’ve seen the Breakfast Club?”

“ _Everyone’s_ seen the Breakfast Club.”

She was sprawled out on the couch with her eyes closed when he came back into the living room. “You can sleep in my room if you want,” he offered. “I can sleep out here.”

“I’m fine.” Her voice was barely even above a whisper. 

“It doesn’t even pull out into a bed--” 

“I’m fine,” she repeated. 

“Well, here. Let me…” He stepped over a pile of dirty clothes and went to his bedroom, pulling the blanket off of his bed and taking it with him. He draped it over Samantha and she quickly burrowed into it. “You okay?”

“Mm.” 

He took that as a yes. “Goodnight. I’m down the hall if you need me.”

“Johnny?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

He smiled. “No problem, Sammy.”


	7. Chapter 7

It took her a few minutes to piece together where she was and what had happened the night before. The TV was on in front of her -- the weatherman was promising high temps and sunny skies for the next ten days. There was an added weight by her feet that wasn’t there when she fell asleep. Johnny was sitting beside her.

His couch was comfier than it looked -- she judged by the stains and tears that there would be a few loose springs digging into her back all night. But when she woke up she felt surprisingly well-rested. She turned over and stretched, swung her legs over the edge and slowly sat up. 

He looked at her. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

He gestured to the bowl he was holding. “I made oatmeal if you want some.” He was in his pj’s.

“Do you have mangoes?” 

“No.”

“Coconut?” 

“Ew.”

She stretched again and got off the couch. 

His kitchen, much like his living room, left a lot to be desired. The counters were grimy and littered with empty beer bottles and other garbage, the fridge was covered in a thin layer of brown sludge, and there were dirty pots and pans on the stove with food crusted onto them. Also on the stove was a half-full two liter of Coors -- as if he needed any more. 

He had salt and pepper shakers in the shape of owls on top of the oven; she found them endearing. It reminded her of the owl figurine she had in her room -- a memento of the days when she and her dad would wake up early on the weekends and hit up all the flea markets within fifteen miles. They’d always come home with cookies made from scratch by the Amish community.

Daniel had haggled with the salesman that day. The owl, which was originally fifty cents, was purchased by her father for fifteen. 

She opened the fridge and held back a gag as the putrid scent of rotted lunch meat filled her nostrils. She opened one of the drawers and found a bushel of mcintosh apples, but they were brown and bruised. Among the other food in the fridge was an empty pickle jar with the juice still in it, a container of hummus, the leftovers from yesterday, and -- of course -- bottles of Coors Banquet. 

The choices for toppings were sparse, but she was able to find sugar, molasses, and cinnamon. And the oatmeal was thick -- just how she liked it. When she was little she would beg her dad to make it “with the lumps;” it was a point of contention once Anthony came along, since he liked it so thin he could’ve drunk it. 

She rooted around the cupboard to find the least questionable-looking cup and filled it with water. Then she made her way back over to the couch. 

“You want coffee?” Johnny asked. 

She shook her head. “Thanks.”

He flipped through the channels, stopping on a sitcom. _Three’s Company._ “Holy shit! I used to watch this every day after school.” Johnny turned the volume up a bit. 

After one episode -- in which Johnny actually laughed at the corny jokes -- she checked her phone. It was 10:40. “Crap!” 

“What’s wrong?”

“I have to go to the country club at twelve with my parents.”

“You have, like, an hour and a half.” 

“I know, but I gotta shower, do my hair, do my makeup--” 

“Want me to drive you home?” 

***

“Sorry for being so crazy last night,” she mumbled on the way there.

They were in Johnny’s car last night and he was constantly asking her if she was okay. She tried to reassure him that she was fine -- just a little shaken up -- but she’d started softly weeping instead. She couldn’t help it; Miguel had given her his word that he wouldn’t be an asshole anymore, and she’d foolishly believed him. 

The party wasn’t his. Actually, it was Moon’s; she and Yasmine weren’t hanging out anymore, but Moon had seen the error of her ways and reconciled with Sam. (Sam had always preferred her company to Yasmine’s, anyway.) She was dating someone from Cobra Kai -- a foul-mouthed kid with a mohawk and a scar from cleft palate surgery when he was a boy. Sam had nothing against him; he was harmless enough, but not someone she would hang out with on a regular basis. 

She noticed that Aisha wasn’t in attendance. It didn’t surprise her -- Aisha had always preferred a night in to a party. And it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that she didn’t have a lot of friends; she liked it that way.

“There aren’t really a lot of people whose company I prefer to my own solitude,” she’d explained to Sam one night at one of their sleepovers, and Sam had felt touched that she was one of those people. 

Not too many people were at the party; Sam recognized a few of Moon’s friends that usually sat on the outskirts of their little friend group. Or rather, the trio that disintegrated once they got sick of Yasmine’s bitchiness. Mostly though, it was the Cobra Kai kids.

It was a typical party. Drunk kids sprawled out on the floor; kids passing a joint around on the steps; strange, pleasure-filled noises coming from Moon’s parents’ bedroom. 

This made Moon groan and pinch the bridge of her nose. “Shit.” Her parents were away on a cruise for the week -- apparently she’d thought they would’ve locked the door. “Just make sure you don’t touch anything! And _clean up when you’re done!!_ ” 

“Chill out, baby!” Hawk -- who was a few beers in at this point -- reached over and gave her a hard slap on the butt. “It’s a party! Loosen up a little!” 

Miguel leaned on Hawk’s shoulder and smirked. “I know how you could get her to loosen up.”

Moon pursed her lips. “You guys are pigs.”

***

“I didn’t like the way you and Hawk were talking about Moon in there,” Sam confessed when they were walking to the car. 

He shrugged indifferently. “Girls like it when you treat ‘em like crap.”

“Yeah? Remember when your little Cobras hijacked Yasmine’s party? How’d that end?” She crossed her arms. “Being a little bit of a bad boy is fine for some girls, I guess. But I think we can all agree that being objectified sucks.”

“Jesus Christ, this generation really _is_ a bunch of pussies.” He opened the door for her, then crossed over to the driver’s side and climbed in. “Know what? Fine. I’ll talk to Hawk next time I see him. Okay?”

She resented his tone. “Thanks.” 

He put a hand on her thigh. It was cold. “I was thinking we could, uh…” 

She took his hand and laced their fingers together. “Not tonight, okay?”

“What the hell is your _problem?_ I’ve been nothing but a gentleman _all night--_ ”

“A gentleman?” She gaped at him. “Are you drunk?” 

He shrunk away from her. “No.” 

“Miguel. Pull over. I’m driving.” 

“I’m fine.” He put on his turn signal and switched lanes. 

“You can’t be in this lane!”

“What do you know? You don’t even have your license!”

The closer she got to him, the more she could smell the alcohol on his breath. She felt sick. How could she not know? How did she not see the signs? This stuff had been hammered into her head since she was in first grade -- now she was in a car with a drunk driver. As good as dead. 

But there was no time to feel sorry for herself -- there was a car coming. With a cry, she took hold of the wheel and turned sharply to the right. That was how they ended up in the ditch. 

Johnny had arrived ten minutes later. 

Johnny put his hand out, making like he was going to squeeze her shoulder. He stopped in midair and decided to give her a friendly punch in the arm instead. “Don’t worry about it. You had a rough night.” 

He was a weirdo. But she liked him. 

***

Sammy was a good kid. 

Miguel? Not so much. 

“Hola, Johnny.” Rosa greeted him with a smile from her armchair. 

“Hola.” He tried to be pleasant. “Miguel here?”

“Claro.” 

He went back and opened the door without knocking. Miguel was semi-lucid, one arm dangling off his bed. “If you’re here to yell at me,” he started, “don’t worry -- Mom already beat you to the punch.” His bruises from the night before were already yellowing, and there was a scratch by his eye that, although it was deep, had been cleaned and disinfected -- no doubt by Carmen’s steady hand. 

The blinds were drawn, letting almost no light into the room. The kid was probably hungover. “How’s your head?”

“Hurts.” 

“Yeah?” Johnny leaned over and cuffed his ear, causing Miguel to groan. “What the hell were you thinking? Driving drunk with Sammy in the car? Are you nuts?” 

“I told you -- my mom already yelled at me.” 

“You were scuffed up last time I saw you. Was this your second accident?”

“No.” 

“ _Was this your second accident?_ ”

Miguel winced, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m telling the truth.” 

“So why’d you look like you got the shit beat out of you? And don’t give me any of that bullshit about getting pushed off your bike.” 

Miguel sighed, rolled over onto his back. “You said if I didn’t like your new teaching philosophy, I could find myself a new sensei.” 

Johnny stopped. “Miguel.” He fought to keep his voice steady. He clenched his fists in an effort to not lose control. Ironic -- that was one of the pieces of advice the kid had given him when he’d had that meeting with the board for the All-Valley Tournament. “I want you to tell me who the hell has been teaching you karate. Right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry lmao


	8. Chapter 8

“Do you have a crush on anyone?” Sammy bounced a tennis ball against the wall and Johnny caught it.

“I’m not doing this with you.” Johnny bounced the ball against the wall and Sammy caught it.

They were in Sammy’s treehouse in the backyard. It was sparsely decorated -- just a few crystals in each corner of the room and a small wooden nightstand holding a deck of tarot cards and a bonsai tree. All that New Age shit wasn’t Johnny’s cup of tea, but he’d had a treehouse of his own when he was younger and Sammy’s made him feel warm. Pleasantly nostalgic. 

Johnny had frequented his treehouse while his father was alive, but after Sid came into the picture he’d spent more and more time away from home -- more weekends were spent at Bobby’s house, or helping Kreese straighten up around the dojo. Sometimes his sensei would take pity on him and send him home with a few twenties. Not that he really needed them.

“I mean,” Sammy continued, trying to throw the ball at an angle so it bounced off the wall _and_ the ceiling (and almost knocking over her table in the process), “you never bring any girls over for our family dinners or anything. So I’m assuming you’re single. Are you scared to make a move?” 

“First of all, I’m not gonna bring a date to a _Larusso_ family dinner. I know my boundaries.” He tossed the ball between his hands before throwing it back to her. “Second…” He paused. “It’s complicated.” 

“What’s her name?” 

“None of your business.” 

“I used to have a crush on you, you know.”

He looked at her to see if she was joking. There was a sheepish grin on her face. “Oh yeah?”

She nodded. “I thought you were really cute.” 

Johnny heard a car pull into the driveway. He tossed the ball back to her. “I gotta go talk to your dad about something.” He carefully climbed down the ladder, his hands getting sweatier and sweatier as he got closer to Daniel. When he reached the ground, he bent over and wiped his palms on his jeans, taking a few deep breaths. Then he went around the house to the driveway. 

Amanda smiled when she saw him. She looked tired. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d pop by.” He locked eyes with Daniel and tried to give him a subtle hint as to why he was really there. 

Turned out he didn’t need to -- Amanda was headed to the kitchen. “Well, I’m gonna go get dinner started. Are you staying?” 

“Uh, actually, I’m… I’m going out to dinner with someone. I was hoping your husband could give me some pointers.” 

To his surprise, she scoffed. “Good luck with that.” She pulled the large glass door shut and Johnny watched as she made her way over to the refrigerator. 

Daniel raised his eyebrows. “You have a date tonight?”

Johnny ignored him and took hold of his arm, pulling him over to the patio table. He took a seat. Daniel followed suit. “Mike Barnes. Name ring a bell to you?” He nodded as Daniel’s eyes widened. “Thought so.” 

“What do you know about him?” 

“He took my best student.” He filled Daniel in on what went down -- conveniently leaving Sammy out of the story -- and told him what had taken place a few nights ago.

He tracked Kreese down in the phonebook. At that point he expected an outburst from Daniel, but he’d remained silent. Johnny continued. 

He went to Kreese’s house and asked that he tell him everything. “If you really changed,” Johnny pressed, “you need to help me.” 

Kreese wasn’t much help -- he’d never actually _met_ Barnes before, but he knew a man named Terry Silver extremely well; they’d actually served in the war together and became close friends. 

Barnes had been commissioned by Silver to make Daniel’s life a living hell in 1985 -- at Kreese’s request, of course. Daniel had foolishly fallen for the false security that the Cobra Kai dojo promised to provide for him at the time, Barnes getting ready to kick his ass all the while. 

“Shit,” Johnny had interjected, “you were really fucked up.” 

A small smile played on Kreese’s face as he continued -- of course Daniel had won the tournament, leaving both Silver and Kreese disgraced. That was when they decided to go their separate ways; Kreese to better himself, Silver to continue a life fueled by revenge and fucking people up. 

“I haven’t heard from Terry in over thirty years,” Kreese had concluded. “Thought he was dead. I guess I should’ve known he was planning something behind the scenes. Probably looking to open up his own dojo. Put Cobra Kai out of business and behind him for good.” 

“If he thinks he’s gonna go that, he’s got another thing coming.” Johnny looked over at Daniel, who was looking down at his clasped hands. “I came here to ask for your help.” 

“Help with what?” Daniel finally looked up at him. “We don’t even know if he’s planning on doing anything. We don’t even know if Barnes is working with him anymore! This whole thing could be a coincidence.” 

“You don’t believe that.” 

Daniel sighed, leaned back. “No. I don’t.” 

“Please,” Johnny tried. “I need you.” 

Daniel cast his gaze to the kitchen and Johnny followed his eyes. Amanda was standing over a pot at the stove, stirring occasionally. There was a large, colorful salad on the counter beside her. “Not tonight.” 

“It doesn’t have to be tonight.” 

Daniel hesitated; there was fear in his eyes when they met Johnny’s. “Okay. I’ll do what I can.” 

They shook hands. Johnny swallowed. “Thank you.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for my abrupt absence and consequent resurgence. 
> 
> But that doesn't mean it won't happen again.
> 
> Regardless, to those of you who have stayed with me, thank you so much. Love you<3

He was about to go to lunch when he heard the door to the dealership open. He stepped out of his cubicle with a well-practised smile on his face. “Welcome to Larusso Auto. How can I--” He stopped, crossing the room before continuing. “How can I help you?”

Kreese was wearing an unbuttoned blue and black plaid shirt over a grey tank top. His jeans looked fashionably vintage; his boots suggested that even in his old age, he was still worthy of respect. The toe of one of those boots scuffed the freshly-buffed floor as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Good morning, Mr. Lawrence. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.” A smirk creeped across his face. “I came to talk to you about purchasing that grey Audi out in the front of the lot.” 

“Uh, yeah, okay.”

“Hungry? I was thinking we could take it for a little test drive.” 

“Shit, you don’t have to ask me twice.” 

***

Sam knocked on Daniel’s office door, not bothering to wait for an answer before stepping in. “Ready to go?”

“Yep.” He stapled a few papers together in that oddly specific way and turned to her with a smile. “Let’s hit it. I’m starving.” 

Sam had been driving with her permit for about a month. She was decently competent, but Daniel still got a little nervous every time she got behind the wheel -- the girl had been gifted with her mother’s depth perception. She couldn’t back the car out of the garage without nearly busting off one of the side mirrors in the process. Once she’d hit one of the trash cans in their driveway head-on; that was when Daniel realized he wanted to wait a little longer before they took on the daunting task of parallel parking. 

He hadn’t been the best driver when he was fifteen, but next to Sam he was perfect. 

It was a rainy day in Encino, meaning everyone on the road had a foot hovering over the breaks. Maybe the foot was even resting _on_ the pedal. This kind of weather aggravated Daniel to no end -- what was everyone afraid of? -- but Sam loved it. “It’s nice to get to take a breath every once in awhile,” she said. 

“Wait until you find out about rush hour traffic.”

She took them to a vegan restaurant -- one of the many in the area. The tires of the car just kissed the lines separating the parking spaces. They hopped out of the car. Daniel had brought an umbrella, but he should’ve thought better of it -- neither of them really cared about getting wet. Sam relished it; she even tip-toed through some of the bigger puddles. It made him smile. 

They came at the right time -- they were seated immediately, and since they already knew what they wanted, they didn’t have to wait for their orders to be taken. 

“So.” Daniel took a sip of his cucumber water. “Anything new happening in the World of Sam?”

She swirled her straw around, making the ice clatter against the glass. “I think Robby has a crush on me. I kissed him on the cheek the other night and he got all flustered.” 

“Why’d you kiss him?” 

She shrugged. “Because he’s a sweetheart and a really good friend. It was after we went to Golf n Stuff the other night. He was just… He’s been really sweet.” 

“Well.” He smiled a thanks at the waitress as she set their plates in front of them. “He’s a good kid. For what it’s worth, if I could pick anyone for you to be with, it would be him.” 

She smiled. 

***

Johnny cursed under his breath.

He and Kreese were paying for lunch when he happened to glance to the side and see Daniel and Sammy walking toward them. Daniel met his eyes first, then he glanced over at Kreese. Johnny watched as anger flickered across his features before he regained composure -- perhaps for the sake of his daughter. 

Sammy, on the other hand, grinned and ran up to Johnny, throwing her arms around his waist. “Hey! What are you doing here?”

He awkwardly slung an arm across her shoulder. “I’m on my lunch break.” He vaguely gestured to Kreese. “This is my former sensei. He actually came in to buy a car today. Small world, huh?”

She let go of Johnny and bowed to his teacher. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.” 

While they were getting acquainted -- Kreese insisted on a handshake -- Johnny winked at Daniel. His eyes darted over to Kreese and Johnny nodded.

Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. 

***

“Hola,” Carmen waved at him cheerfully.

He was glad to see her. “Hola.” He was fumbling for his house key when she walked up to him.

“Any plans for tonight?” 

“Actually,” He ran a hand through his hair and stepped inside, motioning for her to follow. “I have a lot on my plate right now. Can we take a rain check?” He moved to the kitchen and went for a beer, offering her a bottle. She declined.

There was a look of sympathy on her face. “Do you need to talk about anything?” 

“It’s not really worth talking about. It’s just…. Irritating.”

“Well, we don’t need to talk, if you don’t want to.” 

The tone of her voice took him by surprise; the look in her eyes was even worse. He wanted to resist, wanted to be mature, even level-headed for once. 

In the end, he conceded to his lower half. 

“Lock the door,” she sighed as they stumbled into his bedroom. 

“I don’t get many visitors.” He kissed her neck as she started to unbutton his pants. 

“Just in case.” 

He’d barely punched the lock before they fell onto the bed.

***

“I don’t have a good track record with chicks,” he confessed. “I probably should’ve told you that.” 

She shrugged. “I don’t think I’m looking for anything serious.” 

“Really? Shit, that makes my job a whole lot easier.” 

She kissed his cheek before sitting up and retrieving her clothes from the floor. “Still, this probably shouldn’t be consistent. You already have your issues with Miguel. I wouldn’t want to do anything to make it worse.”

“How is he?”

She stepped into her shorts without putting on underwear; in their haste, he hadn’t noticed if she’d been wearing any before they started. “Short of putting him on house arrest, I’m doing everything in my power to keep him from that monster. He’s upset with me, but I can’t lose him, too. I can’t even imagine.” She looked at him. “Has he even come to apologize?” 

Johnny shook his head. “He’ll come around. Give him time.” 

“Are you sure?”

He wasn’t, but he nodded anyway.

***

“So, I guess I’ll see you around.” 

 

“Definitely. Don’t be a stranger.” Johnny was only vaguely aware of these words coming out of his mouth -- he was distracted by Daniel slowly coming up the walkway. 

He gave a polite wave to Carmen before he reached Johnny. “What’d Kreese have to say?”

“Nice to see you too, Baby Browns.” He laughed as Daniel bristled. “Come in.” 

They sat at the dining room table and Johnny slid him the Banquet that Carmen rejected. He took a seat. “Here’s the deal: Silver and Barnes want to fight us.”


	10. Chapter 10

Daniel almost choked on his drink, as Johnny suspected. He gave him a few minutes to regain composure. 

Daniel wiped his mouth. “Are you kidding?”

“He’s giving us a month to train.” 

“How considerate.” 

“That’s not all.” Johnny knew there was no way to choose these next words carefully, so he just got it over with: “Kreese wants to help us.” 

Daniel sighed. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“I have the day off tomorrow. I was gonna go down there and get a head start. Feel like taking a personal day?”

***

Kreese’s home was modest. It sat on the corner of a quiet street in Glendale, about a twenty-five minute drive from Daniel’s house. He and Johnny had decided to carpool, but they didn’t say much on the way there.

Daniel rang the doorbell and was surprised to hear a dog barking; he didn’t picture Kreese to be an animal person. 

Kreese smiled easily when he opened the door. “Good morning, Mister Larusso. It’s nice to see you again.” 

“Pleasure.” 

He gave Johnny a nod before stepping aside. “Please. Come in.” 

The dog turned out to be an unassuming Jack Russell Terrier. He jumped at Daniel and licked his hand. Daniel pet him absentmindedly. “I didn’t know you had a dog.” 

“That’s Buster.” He tried to get him off of Daniel, but to no avail. “He must really like you.”

“I’ve always been good with animals.” 

Johnny made himself at home, going over to the coffee maker and pouring himself a cup. “You gonna help us, or what?” 

Kreese smirked. “I thought you’d never ask.” He took the cup from Johnny and poured it down the sink. “Lesson one: a dependency on anything is a weakness.” 

Johnny and Daniel exchanged glances. 

He motioned for them to follow him and led them to his backyard, where Buster took it upon himself to take off and run circles around a huge oak tree. 

It was a sizeable yard -- fenced in, with enough room for a man and his small dog to play frisbee if they so desired. There was a shed a few yards away, and Kreese was making his way to it now. Daniel watched with a numb curiosity as he rummaged around, coming out with an umpire outfit that simultaneously made him feel comforted and on edge. 

“Mister Lawrence,” Kreese barked, throwing him the uniform. “Put this on and face Mister Larusso.” 

Daniel took in the sight of the man before him -- hardened, determined, confident. He had no idea just what they were getting themselves into. 

He was sure that he looked lost, confused, maybe even downright terrified in Johnny’s eyes. Fortunately for him, though, Johnny had the good grace to not say anything. 

“What are we doing?” Johnny asked. 

“I want Mister Larusso to hit you.”

Daniel shot Kreese a look of annoyance which earned him one in return. Kreese cranked his hand in a circle in a gesture of impatience. Daniel sighed and raised his fists, causing Johnny to instinctively get ready to block them.

Daniel went for his chest, but was deflected easily. 

“Is that all you got, Mister Larusso? Lawrence isn’t made of glass, you know. Hit him!” 

Again, Daniel hit him, and again, he was blocked.

“Really give him all you’ve got, Larusso. No mercy!” 

Daniel hit him. 

“Harder!” 

Daniel hit him again. 

“Harder!”

“What’s with you, man?” Johnny asked him. 

“I just don’t wanna hurt you.” 

Kreese sighed. “I’m glad you girls have put the past behind you, but taking _feelings_ into consideration is going to get you killed.” He tapped Johnny on the shoulder. “Trade me places, son.” He put on the gear and stepped in front of Daniel. “Hit me. Come on.” 

“You’re sure.” 

“Enough with the pansy act. You’re not gonna break me. If you wanna make it out of this alive, you gotta forget all that _defense only_ bullshit. Let loose.” 

Daniel struck hard, earning a smile from Kreese. He took that as a go-ahead to swing again, so he did. He fell into a rhythm shortly after, with Kreese blocking when necessary. Admittedly, it felt good to finally be able to externalize his anger at the right person. 

He saw Johnny out of the corner of his eye and suddenly felt a pang of something. Pity? Regret? Sympathy? Whatever it was, it left a sour taste in his mouth and a knot in his stomach. He let his mind wander for two seconds and ended up striking Kreese in the face, knocking him to the ground. 

Kreese grunted and cursed under his breath. 

“Shit, are you okay? I’m so sorry.” He extended a hand, but Kreese ignored it and pulled himself to his feet. When he took the helmet off, there was a bloody gash in his forehead, no doubt from the helmet hitting it at just the right (or wrong) angle. 

“Good job, Mister Larusso.” Kreese clapped him on the back. “Continue to do that and you might just have a fighting chance.” 

“That looked like fun,” Johnny chuckled. “When’s it my turn?” 

“When you learn to take a fall.” Kreese grabbed him in a headlock and wrestled him to the ground. They kicked and punched and groaned and cursed, and it almost touched Daniel to see them getting along after so many years of pain and dejection on Johnny’s end. 

***

“I think twice a week would be enough time to whip you two into shape,” Kreese informed them over tuna sandwiches and raspberry iced tea. “You,” he said to Johnny, “I’m not too worried about. Whatever chip you have on your shoulder, you know how to use it to your advantage and take the enemy down. You, on the other hand,” his gaze leveled on Daniel, “need to put your principles aside. Mister Miyagi would understand.” 

Daniel watched as he broke off a piece of his sandwich and fed it to Buster. “And you really think that’ll help us win?” 

“Well, it’s either that or you end up in a body bag.” Kreese gave him a bittersweet smile. “The choice is yours.” 

***

“Jesus Christ.” Johnny shifted uncomfortably in the driver’s seat. “I’m gonna be sore for a week. Remind me to take it easy on my students the next time they start bitching at me.” 

Daniel sighed. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do. How am I gonna teach Miyagi-Do while I’m getting ready to beat these guys to pulps?” 

“It’s only for a month,” Johnny reminded him. “It’s not like Kreese is making you change permanently.” 

Daniel let his mind drift back to 1985. He didn’t want to defend his title. Sure, the thought had crossed his mind more than once, but Mister Miyagi was quick to shut him down and have him put his ego aside.

Mister Miyagi was great at that. 

But Barnes just kept _pushing._

He didn’t think Silver and Cobra Kai would take control of his life _then,_ either. But it did. At least until Mister Miyagi snapped him out of it.

But Mister Miyagi wasn’t here anymore. He’d have to take this all on by himself. 

The thought was enough to make him sick to his stomach. 

“Hey.” Johnny looked like he was about to put a hand over Daniel’s, but thought better of it and punched him in the arm instead. “Thanks for doing this.” 

“Next time I need a favor, you owe me big.” He tried to smile.

Johnny laughed. “You got it.”


	11. Chapter 11

He felt out of place. Then again, at this point in his life it would’ve been a bit more alarming if he felt like he belonged somewhere -- even a little. 

He was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the Miyagi-Do dojo, invited simultaneously by Daniel and Sammy. He had no idea what he could offer to the Miyagi-Do brand, but Daniel’s sheepish smile and Sammy’s shining eyes made it impossible to say no. 

The class consisted of only three kids -- both of the Larussos and Robby. As they filed into the room -- a spacious, comfortable place with bamboo mats, Chinese scrolls and, of course, just a few bonsai trees -- Daniel walked over to Johnny and clapped him on the back. “Why don’t you walk ‘em through some warm ups?” 

Johnny couldn’t help laughing. “You sure that’s a good idea?” 

“I have a plan.”

Johnny heaved himself off of the floor and clapped his hands together, commanding attention. “Alright, guys. Fall in.” 

“Are you gonna teach us how to whoop some ass?” Anthony asked. That earned a glare from Daniel. 

“Jab punch.” He continued as if the kid hadn’t spoken. “Begin.” He walked them through a few punches starting with the right hand, then the left.

As he was walking around them, observing their form as they moved on to front stretch and then snap kick, he was reminded of only a few short months ago when he re-opened Cobra Kai. He’d been struggling to make ends meet and put a roof over his head, but he preferred smaller classes and a more condensed atmosphere; it helped the students concentrate and was easier to address individual problems as they came up.

He wondered if Daniel knew how much of an advantage he had. 

“Is there a reason for this?” Robby asked. “I mean, you and Mister Larusso don’t exactly have similar styles.” 

“That’s exactly why he’s here,” Daniel explained. “Today’s lesson is all about going against your principles in order to more effectively take down your opponent.” 

He should’ve seen this coming. 

***

Sammy was the star pupil, no doubt about it. He knew Daniel was too PC to pick a favorite kid, but when push came to shove, Johnny knew Daniel’s money would be on Sammy to win the All-Valley Tournament. She was a natural. She’d even floored Johnny a few times, and she wasn’t even a pussy about it -- he expected her to start apologizing profusely and meekly offer to help him up; instead she laughed at him and used her foot to keep him pinned to the floor.

“You were great,” he told her.

“Well, I learn from the best.”

He was about to remind her that _his_ dojo won the tournament this year, but he had to catch Robby before he left for the night. “Hey.” He threw an arm around the kid and squeezed tight. “I know I’m a few days late, but I just wanted to say happy birthday. I got you something.” He fished around in his pocket with his free arm, pulling out the key Daniel gave him when he first got to Miyagi’s house. He handed it to Robby. “Go look in the garage.” 

Robby raised his brows. “Dad--”

“Just go look in the garage.” 

Robby made his way across the yard, punching in the code and shifting his weight from foot to foot while he waited for the door to open. What awaited him was a brand new, navy blue Audi. Johnny caught up to him with a smile on his face. “Whataya think?” 

“Dad, this is…” Robby laughed incredulously and threw his arms around his father. “Thank you.”

Johnny squeezed him tightly. “Happy birthday.” 

After getting the okay to drive Sammy and Anthony home, Johnny was left alone with Daniel. Again.

He’d approached him a few days ago about getting Robby the car. Shannon hadn’t told him anything about Robby taking his test -- not that he’d expected her to -- and he had to find out from Daniel that the kid had passed. 

“I’m never gonna stop owing you, am I?” Johnny asked on their way to Kreese’s that evening.

“Just get me out of this alive and we’ll be even.”


	12. Chapter 12

If Johnny’s life were a movie, this stage would be the obligatory three-to-five-minute montage, complete with a semi-upbeat song playing in the background to arouse feelings of ambition and determination.

He decided his montage song would be Erasure’s A Little Respect.

The chorus would assault the viewer’s ears while he took beating after beating from Kreese, as he watched Daniel harden and shed some of the trademark Miyagi-Do tranquility. 

“You guys look awful!” The music would slowly be fading out as Amanda would take in the sight of the two men stumbling up the sidewalk. “Can’t you just put this to bed and admit you’re both equally skilled fighters?” 

“You don’t look so hot yourself,” Johnny would snap. This, of course, would earn a sharp smack in the back of the head from Daniel. 

It was true, though -- Amanda had been looking exhausted lately. Johnny wondered about the last time she took a day off. The good thing, though, was that she didn’t suspect a thing -- she still thought that the bruises, scrapes, and cuts, were the result of companionable fighting between the two of them.

It was obviously much better that way. For the three of them.

The instrumental bit of the song would start up as Kreese ran them through an obstacle course in the pouring rain, seemingly oblivious to the lightning cracking through the sky in the distance. 

“Let’s go, ladies,” he’d catcall. “If you think you’re not going into war in two weeks, you’ve got another thing coming.” 

This would jump-cut to Daniel standing in front of three wooden boards that were precariously placed in order to look like a human body, not unlike the one Johnny had used on Miguel when the kid was first learning how to kick.

“A man can’t see,” he said to Daniel, “he can’t fight.”

That particular day led to a silent ride home; each time Johnny would glance over to the passenger seat, Daniel would be staring down at his hands. 

***

He’d go around to the back of Daniel’s house to find him soaking his battered body in the hot tub. It would take every ounce of concentration he had to look Daniel in the eyes and remember the reason he’d come. 

“We have a date.” 

Daniel would look over at him expectantly. 

“Two Fridays from now,” Johnny would continue. “6pm. Does that work for you?”

“If I say no, do you think I’ll be able to get outta this?” He would go to laugh and end up with a half-choked hiccup. “I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Dan.” 

“Don’t mention it.” 

“No, really.” He’d crouch down and put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “I don’t think I’d be able to do this without you.” 

“Don’t be goin’ soft on me, now.” Daniel would take his hand and squeeze. “We’ll get through this.” 

There would be a long pause as they stared at each other. 

“You good?” Daniel would flash him a cheeky smile.

“You just make me nervous, Larusso.” Johnny would punch him in the arm and attempt to play it off. “See ya around.” 

He’d turn around and try to make it back to the front of the house, only to be confronted by Sammy. She’d be grinning suspiciously, looking like the Cheshire Cat. 

_Oh baby please…. Give a little respect…._

“Can I help you?”

“It’s my dad!” 

He’d stare at her blankly. 

“You have a crush on my dad!” 

Words would fail him -- a rare occasion. 

“Are you the reason my parents are going to marriage counseling?” 

He’d blink. He’d try to think back to a time when he saw Daniel and Amanda not getting along. Sure, they’d had their spats, but hadn’t every married couple? He’d hardly call it a reason to go see someone. 

“Haven’t you noticed they’re never here on Wednesday nights? They’re _talking over their feelings_ with _Stanley._ ”

_I’m so in love with you… I’ll be forever blue…_

Sammy would awkwardly look away from him. “Just don’t tell them I told you, okay?”

“Your secret’s safe with me.” 

Eventually the song would fade out altogether. 

***

It was the end of their last session with Kreese. The August sun was peeking through the gaps in the branches of his oak tree. He removed the umpire gear for the final time.

“Well, boys.” He sighed. “I’d say you’re ready as you’ll ever be.” 

“Any last words of wisdom?” Johnny asked. 

“Yeah -- don’t get yourself killed.” 

Daniel held out a hand. “Thanks for everything.” 

Kreese’s grip was firm. “Thank me when you walk outta this fight.” He looked back at Johnny. “Well, it seems we’ve come full circle, son.” He held out a hand to his former student.

Instead of returning the gesture, Johnny pulled the man into a hug. Kreese responded immediately, wrapping his arms around Johnny and squeezing. “You’ve got what it takes,” he whispered. “Both of you.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.” Johnny pat his back before pulling away.

***

“I don’t want to go home yet.” Daniel grabbed the keys from Johnny’s hand. “Wanna take a detour?” 

“I dunno, man. I’m on a pretty busy schedule.” 

The drive didn’t take long -- Daniel took them to the beach. 

He parked in the gravel that served as the parking lot and cut the engine immediately. They got out, and Johnny let him lead the way.

They walked all the way to the water, and Daniel sat cross-legged on the shore. They were so close that the waves lightly crashed over their ankles when they were both seated. 

“This is where Mister Miyagi would bring me when we trained for our first tournament,” Daniel explained. He closed his eyes and put his hands on his knees, focusing on his breath, the waves, the infrequent cries of the seagulls. 

He didn’t fear death. Not exactly. He feared not being in his loved one’s lives anymore. He imagined Sam walking down the aisle without him, Amanda having to take total responsibility for Larusso Auto, Anthony finally finding a passion and sticking to it--

He even felt a little pang in his chest when he thought of not being able to see Johnny anymore.

He knew these musings were irrelevant -- he wouldn’t be able to _miss_ them. He’d be dead, for Christ’s sake. 

All the same, he didn’t want to leave them. He wasn’t ready. 

Not yet. 

_Daniel-San, this not tournament. This for real._

“Should I call an ambulance?” 

Daniel took a deep breath, re-orienting himself and opening his eyes. He wondered how much time had passed.

He looked at Johnny. “Aren’t you scared?”

“I’m terrified.” He reached over and took Daniel’s hand. “If something happens--”

“Don’t.” 

“No, I need to say this.” Johnny took a deep breath. “If I don’t make it, I want you to take over the dojo. Miyagi-Do will do better for the world than Cobra Kai ever will. And…” Johnny looked away from him; it was at this moment Daniel realized how much Johnny’s eyes looked like the ocean right before a storm. “Take care of Robby. Okay?” He sighed. “I wish I could go back. Be there for him. Y’know? But…” He ran his thumb across Daniel’s knuckles. “But you were. And I’ll always be thankful for that.” They locked eyes. “Thanks for straightening him out.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for a little bit of vomit and a racial slur.

Neither of them went to the dealership that day. 

Johnny knocked on Carmen’s door, running a hand through his hair and double checking the bouquet he purchased to make sure none of the flowers were wilting. He bought them the night before, taking a pit stop before he reached his house; Sammy told him that if you put them in water and stuck them in the fridge, they’d last longer.

He hoped she was right. 

Rosa was the one who answered the door. “Ah, Johnny! Que supresa!” She kissed both of his cheeks. “Flores? Para mi?” She held her hands to her chest and grinned.

He smiled. “For you and Carmen both, actually. Do you like them?” 

“Si, por supuesto! Que bella!” She held them to her nose and inhaled deeply. “Muchas gracias.” 

He didn’t know exactly what she said, but he took the enthusiasm and the definite thank you to be a good thing. 

“Carmen esta durmiendo todavia,” she explained as she let him in. “Y Miggy esta con su amigos. Quieres ayudarme con el desayuno?” 

“Uh… yeah.” He smiled. “Sure.” 

That earned an explosion of laughter from her. “Esta bien, esta bien. Ven conmigo.” She put an arm around him and led him to the kitchen.

He wondered how Daniel was spending his morning.

***

He made love to Amanda early in the morning, an action that was reminiscent of their relationship twenty years ago. It probably wasn’t the best thing to do given the current circumstances, but he needed to be with her. He wanted to be fully present, running his fingers along the curves of her body, kissing her neck and hearing her sigh.

He wanted her to know that he’d always love her. No matter what the outcome. 

He was in the kitchen now; the espresso maker was running and he was busying himself making a platter of blueberry banana crepes with a homemade chocolate sauce. 

“Hey, Dad.” Sam materialized behind him. “Is it okay if I go to Moon’s today? She said she’d pick me up. I’ll be back for dinner.” 

He wanted to be selfish and tell her no, but in the end he decided that it would be better to let things play out like they normally would. He turned around and hugged her. “Yeah, that’s fine. Just be careful, okay?” He kissed her head. “I love you.” 

If she was put off by this, she didn’t show it. “I love you too.” 

***

“ _Pues?_ ” Rosa started in on Carmen as soon as she came out of the bedroom. It was after eleven; Johnny had been at the house for over three hours. 

She looked at Johnny. “What are you doing here?” 

Rosa elbowed him in the side and shoved the flowers into his hands. He cleared his throat. “Uh… I brought you these. I also helped make breakfast, but it’s cold now.” 

She set the flowers back on the counter. “I’m sorry -- I’ve been working double shifts at the hospital. Today’s my only day off for awhile.” She yawned and stretched, exposing a thin strip of her caramel-colored stomach. 

He shrugged. “All I did was make the toast. Rosa did everything else. Do you, uh… wanna go out?” 

“Tan cortes!” Rosa grinned at her daughter. “Y tiene los ojos como el mar, si?” 

“Mama,” Carmen rubbed her eyes. “Not now, please.” 

“What? What did she say?” 

***

The day went by too fast. But he didn’t expect anything less.

The drive to Daniel’s house was a silent one, with Kreese at the wheel and Johnny in the passenger’s seat. When they got into the driveway, Kreese beeped the horn.

Johnny saw them through the window -- Sammy was on her phone, Amanda was watching TV, and Anthony was absorbed by a tablet, occasionally making faces of disgust at whatever it was that had his attention. He wished he could go in and hug them, maybe give Amanda a kiss on the cheek, but that would lead to questions. And questions would lead to explaining. 

Neither of them wanted to do that. 

“How ya feelin’, man?” Johnny asked when Daniel all but fell into the backseat. 

“I’ve been better, if you can believe it.” 

“If it makes you feel better, I didn’t even see Robby today.” 

He watched Daniel’s reaction in the mirror; his eyebrows furrowed. “I gave him the day off.” 

“And you think he’s gonna use it to spend time with me?” Johnny shook his head. “You know him better than that. He wasn’t even at Shannon’s when I stopped by.” 

But what Daniel didn’t know was that Johnny got to say his pseudo-goodbyes a few days earlier. His apartment door was already unlocked when he got home from the dojo, so he entered the building prepared to fight whoever the hell had broken into his house. Instead, he found Sammy and Robby watching the Terminator on his TV. They were both in their pajamas. 

“Do your parents know you’re here?” He asked her when they made room for him on the couch. 

“What do you mean? I’m not here. I’m at Aisha’s house working on a summer book report.” 

The girl had balls. 

“She’s never seen this,” Robby uptalked. “Can you believe it? She wanted to watch Dirty Dancing instead.” 

Sammy had ended up crying at the end of the movie. He’d never met _anyone_ who cried over the Terminator. This girl was really something else. He was glad they didn’t end up watching Dirty Dancing. 

Robby had ended up sleeping on the floor of Johnny’s room while Sammy slept on the couch. Both of them had sworn there was nothing going on between them, but Johnny didn’t want Daniel coming after him if something horrible happened. 

Plus, if he’d ever caught wind of Robby hurting her or pressuring her into doing something stupid, he’d kick his ass five ways to Sunday. 

“I’m sorry,” Daniel said. “I thought things were looking up.” 

Johnny shrugged. “It’s probably for the best.” 

***

Daniel was ready to go insane. “Can we turn on the radio or something?” 

Johnny wordlessly punched a button, flooding the car with The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles. It was an awful song -- one that Daniel didn’t even like in the eighties -- but he didn’t care enough to tell Johnny to hit the scan button. 

Johnny started drumming his fingers on the glove box, and it almost made Daniel laugh to see Kreese tapping his thumb on the steering wheel in time with the music. When Johnny began to sing along under his breath, Daniel joined him. By the chorus they were screaming with the enthusiasm of two men who were openly embracing death, and it wasn’t long before Kreese started singing, too.

Daniel almost forgot about the knot in his stomach as he tried to search for meaning in the song -- for a reason that _that specific song_ was the one that was playing when Johnny turned on the radio. 

He couldn’t find one. 

***

Kreese stopped outside of a grimy parking garage. “Well, boys, this is the end of the line.” 

“Any last words of advice?” Johnny asked. To Daniel, both of their voices sounded miles away.

“Yeah. Don’t get yourselves killed and call me when you’re done.” Daniel watched as Kreese placed a firm hand on Johnny’s shoulder. 

He barely made it out of the car when his stomach gurgled and lurched. “Shit.” He sprinted to the side of the building and vomited up his dinner, making a note to not eat cheese tortellini for awhile -- it tasted the same coming back up. 

“We’re here,” Johnny called boldly as they stepped inside. The garage had at least one broken window in every wall and only one light on overhead, illuminating the mouse droppings and questionable stains on the ground. Daniel wondered when it had been used last. “Show yourselves.” 

Two figures stepped out of the shadows like villains in some sort of B-list action movie. “Glad you could make it.” Terry Silver, as Daniel suspected, was the first one to speak. He was grey now, his ponytail gone, and the veins in his arms were dark purple and skeletal. His eyes looked calm. Trusting, even. They were what made Daniel feel safe with him in the first place. 

Mike Barnes, on the other hand, looked as crazy as the day Daniel met him. His eyes were wild, his hair stuck up all over the place, and his beard grew in uneven patches. 

He thought he might puke again. 

“Street rules.” Silver crossed his arms over his chest. “The team to go down first loses. If we win, you two shut down your dojos. That is, if you can both walk out of here in one piece.” 

Daniel didn’t miss the smirk on Barnes’ face. “And what happens if me and Johnny win?”

Silver’s eyebrows went up; he almost looked amused. “If you win, we’re out of your hair. We leave California and you’ll never have to worry about us again.” He nodded to Johnny. “And you can have your student back, if he chooses to be with you. But I wouldn’t get too cocky.” He looked back at Daniel, his eyes narrow and mocking. “I don’t expect you to last too long now that you don’t have that old slope to protect you.” 

Something snapped in Daniel then -- he ran full speed at Silver, hitting him square in the jaw. Beside him he heard thundering footsteps, followed by Johnny’s unmistakable grunt of pain. 

The fight had officially begun. 

Daniel’s hit had knocked Silver back a few steps; he watched as Silver swiped at his lower lip, looked at the blood on his fingers. “You’ve always had it in you, Mister Larusso. Let’s see how far you can go.” He punched Daniel in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Daniel put his hands on the pavement for leverage and kicked Silver in the shin as hard as he could. The man cursed and hopped around a little bit, then kicked Daniel in the temple.

He started to see stars. 

Beside him, Johnny and Barnes seemed to be dancing; they were circling each other, throwing out the occasional punch here and there. 

Daniel quickly got to his feet, went to sweep Silver but was blocked. 

It was all a blur after that.

He heard grunts and groans, the sound of skin colliding violently with skin, the slap of flesh against the concrete. He was surprised to feel a warm wetness on his hands, soaking into his shirt. He had no idea where it came from. 

_It’s blood. So what? Make believe it’s his._

All the chances he took to look at Johnny and Barnes had shown him that Johnny was clearly in the lead, but not by much; he was covered in blood, cuts, and bruises -- no doubt he’d be escaping this with a black eye that would most likely be the least of his worries.

He wasn’t sure what had done it, but there was a point where he could very noticeably feel the energy leaving him. He didn’t have the stamina to keep fighting -- how long had it been? His hits were easily deflected; his kicks seemingly miles from their intended marks. 

_This guy wants to_ break _you._ Humiliate _you._ Stomp _you into the_ ground! _What are you gonna do about it?_

He went down. 

The last thing he saw was Silver leering above him. “Time’s up, Danny boy.”

He heard Johnny call out to him, but his voice sounded far away and underwater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to make Silver and Barnes the least bit cartoony like they were in Part III while also keeping the drama and high stakes. Not sure if I succeeded.


End file.
